Tracing One Aspect of the Process(es) of Communal Identity Construction of the Didache through Baptism and Ritual Innovation

Abstract

One of the ongoing conversations in scholarship on the Didache is how the text should be identified. Is the text an expression of a community or communities that are breaking out of or maintaining their traditions? A promising way forward, inspired by recent trends in ritual studies, is to explore the rituals of the Didache, particularly with the concept of ritual change. My study therefore attempts to trace one part of the process(es) of communal identity construction of the Didache by examining the way it prescribes baptism. More specifically, I will focus on three instances of characteristic diction (the verb βαπτίζω, the εἰς [τὸ] ὄνομα formula, and the preference for ὕδωρ ζῶν in Did. 7.1–4, 9.5) and compare the baptism's ritual structure with similar practices. The results of this research indicate that the Didache's baptism is an example of a ritual innovation. In this particular case, the Didache is not seeking to maintain its traditional roots; instead, its prescription concerning baptism is largely unprecedented except among the writings of Jesus-following groups.